NBC: Recaps of Returning Favorites • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

‘Lipstick Jungle’ ‘ER’

Returns: 10 p.m. Wednesday Returns: 10 p.m. Thursday

■ Recap: A mob lawyer in the federal

■ Recap: Nico was trysting with
Witness Protection Program was
Kirby when she got a call from the brought into the ER and survived sever-
hospital that her husband, Charles, al attempts on his life. Moretti tried to
had suffered a heart attack. Racked patch things up between Abby and
with guilt, she decided to break up Kovac. Kovac reacted badly but did ask
with Kirby and recommit to her Abby for a second chance — and got it.
marriage, but a visit from one of Neela and Dubenko had to explain why
Charles’ students who was extreme- a patient of theirs died on the operating
ly upset had her suspecting that table; Neela fielded the questions, while
maybe he’d been cheating, too. Dubenko defended her before walking
Wendy worked with a writer to fin- out in disgust and resigning.
ish a script on a tight deadline. Afterward, Brinner, who had been has-
Victory fended off advances from sling Neela about her love life, found
her ex-boyfriend Joe, who was now her in the surgeons lounge, and they
her boss, and received an interest- ended up in a passionate embrace. As
ing proposition from a pair of the mob lawyer was being moved to
stars. This caused her to reconsider another hospital, his ambulance
a relationship with Joe, but when exploded, but it was unclear which of
she called him, he’d apparently the ER doctors — if any — were hurt
already moved on. or killed in the blast.
■ Cast: Brooke Shields, Kim ■ Cast: Maura Tierney, Mekhi Phifer,
Raver, Lindsay Price (pictured at Parminder Nagra, John Stamos, Linda
right) and Andrew McCarthy, Cardellini, Scott Grimes
Paul Blackthorne, David
Norona
‘Law & Order: SVU’
Returns: 10 p.m. Tuesday

■ Recap: At the end of last season,

Detective Lake was in handcuffs,
Detective Fin wanted a transfer,
Detective Munch was cranky, Detective
Stabler was upset, and prosecutor
Casey Novak was being reamed out for
misconduct and threatened with possi-
ble suspension. Two of these five peo-
ple will not return this fall. OK, they’re
Lake and Novak.
‘The Office’ ■ Cast: Dann Florek, Ice-T, Richard
Belzer, BD Wong, Mariska Hargitay,
Returns: 9 p.m. Thursday
Christopher Meloni, Michaela
■ Recap: In the season finale, Michael McManus
bankrolled a lavish going-away party,
including fireworks, for his office nemesis,
Toby. He was prepared to loathe the new
‘My Name is Earl’
human resources rep, Holly, but she soon Returns: 8 p.m. Thursday
had Michael eating out of her hand. He was ■ Recap: The ne’er-do-well continues
shocked later to run into his ex, Jan, now trying to make amends for past mis-
pregnant, but she assured him the baby deeds as the sitcom enters its fourth
wasn’t his. When Pam told Jim she had season, with Earl having emerged
been accepted by a New York arts school, he from his coma and getting more
decided to pop the question during the party money to use in righting his wrongs.
fireworks, but just as he was about to do so, Estranged wife Billie has joined a
a tipsy Andy grabbed the party microphone sect and given him the rest of her
and blurted out a proposal to Angela. insurance settlement, along with a
Angela accepted, and a disappointed Jim divorce, so Earl goes into his new
slipped the ring back into his pocket. misadventures with an even cleaner
■ Cast: BJ Novak, Rainn Wilson, Steve (and richer) slate than he’s had.
Carell, John Krasinski, Jenna Fisher ■ Cast: Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee,
(pictured at right) and Ed Helms, Angela Jaime Pressly, Nadine Velazquez,
Kinsey Eddie Steeples